Jean-Luc Picard
''Notice: This article is currently undergoing a major edit. I will continue work on it tomorrow. Please don't hesitate to make minor changes to the page ;-) 'night - Ottens 21:26, 5 Oct 2005 (UTC)'' Personnel File * Serial number: SP 937-215 * Active rank: Captain * Current assignment: Commanding officer of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)]]. * Former assignments: ** Commanding officer, [[USS Stargazer|USS Stargazer (NCC-2893)]], (2333-2355) ** Commanding officer, [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)]], (2364-2371) Jean-Luc Picard is one of the best-known and most-respected Starfleet officers of the 24th century, an accomplished diplomat and tactician famous for his service as captain of the starships ''Stargazer'', ''Enterprise''-D and its successor, the ''Enterprise''-E. In this role, he not only witnessed the major turning points of recent galactic history, but played a key role in them also, from making first contact as captain of the Federation flagship with no less than 27 alien species, including the Ferengi and the Borg, as well as becoming the chief contact point with the Q Continuum, to serving as arbiter choosing the former leading of the Klingon Empire, Chancellor Gowron, and exposing the Romulan Star Empire as backers of his chief rivals, later aiding a pacifist underground movement to gain a toehold on the Romulan homeworld. As of 2379, Captain Jean-Luc Picard continues to command the sixth Starfleet vessel bearing the illustrous name Enterprise. Service record Academy years and Early career Jean-Luc Picard was born in La Barre, France, European Alliance on Earth on July 13th, 2305. As a child, he dreamed of adventure and exploration and caused "quite a stir" by leaving his family's generational vineyard and applying to Starfleet Academy. Although he failed to gain entry on his first attempt, he succeeded in his second attempt in 2323. Picard subsequently became one of the most outstanding cadets in his class. (TNG: "Family", "The First Duty") Picard's career at the Academy was difficult, at best — years later, Picard would credit Academy groundskeeper Boothby with helping him develop a mature attitude. (See also: A.F.) Among Picard's friends at the Academy were Donald Varley, Cortin Zweller and Marta Batanides. (TNG: "The Game", "Tapestry") Shortly upon graduation in 2327, Picard's promising career nearly ended abruptly during a layover at Starbase Earhart. During a bar brawl over a rigged game of dom-jot, he was stabbed through the heart by a Nausicaan, and had to undergo emergency surgery to replace his heart. (TNG: "Tapestry") In a scene cut from TNG: "The Measure of a Man", Admiral Nakamura, recalled during his lieutenancy, serving aboard the [[USS Reliant|USS ''Reliant]] with the newly assigned Ensign Picard.'' As a junior officer, Picard was the closest of friends with Walker Keel, and also became friends with Jack Crusher and his fiancé Beverly Howard. (TNG: "Conspiracy", "Journey's End") Star Trek: Nemesis seems to suggest that Beverly Crusher knew and remembered Picard from his Academy days as being "cocky." This would be impossible, however, as Beverly was born a year after Picard entered the Academy and would only be around three years old when he graduated. ---- Aboard the Stargazer Picard was assigned as a flight controller aboard the [[USS Stargazer|USS Stargazer]]. In 2333, as a lieutenant commander, he assumed command of the vessel when the captain was killed on the bridge. Starfleet awarded him a promotion to the post of captain — making him one of the youngest Starfleet officers ever to attain the position. Picard remained in command of the Stargazer for twenty-two years. It is not clear if Picard was promoted directly to captain, or if he was promoted to full commander but assigned a captain's responsibilities, and then promoted to the higher grade later. The latter seems more likely. In accordance to naval rank tradition, one does not necessarily have to have a captain's rank (equivalent to a full colonel in army, marine, air force ranks) to command a vessel. Ships of the line (i.e. battleships and aircraft carriers) were commanded by ranks of captain to rear-admiral. Instead, vessels like a submarine would be commanded by a lieutenant commander or a commander. Thus it seems plausable that the ''Stargazer would be under the command of someone of lesser rank than captain.'' In 2342, Picard dated a young woman called Jenice at the Café des Artistes in Paris. However, he became afraid of a possible future relationship and posted Jenice, who later married Paul Manheim. (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris") In 2353, Picard was on an away mission and saved the life of one team member at the expense of another; Jack Crusher was lost in the line of duty. Picard met with Crusher's widow Beverly on Starbase 32 to present the body; it was one of Wesley Crusher's earliest memories. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "Coming of Age", "The Bonding", "Violations") In 2355, the Stargazer was seriously damaged in a battle with an unknown enemy vessel, later discovered to be a Ferengi ship. Picard managed to destroy the enemy vessel, but was forced to abandon the Stargazer. His actions during the battle were called into question by Starfleet prosecutor Phillipa Louvois, but he was exonerated by the inquiry board. The encounter with the Ferengi vessel, later known as the Battle of Maxia, would come back to haunt Picard. DaiMon Bok, whose son was killed during the battle, would twice try to exact revenge on Picard. (TNG: "The Battle", "The Measure of a Man", "Bloodlines") ---- Captain of the Enterprise In 2364, Picard was assigned command of the newly-commissioned ''Galaxy''-class starship ''Enterprise'', the most prestigious captaincy in Starfleet. He commanded the ship for seven years, participating in many important missions. Among these were the defeat of the Borg invasions of 2366 and 2369, and his command of the fleet which blockaded the Klingon-Romulan border during the Klingon Civil War. .]] Picard hand-picked most of his senior staff, such as two young officers who impressed him enough upon first meeting. Geordi La Forge once piloted his inspection tour shuttle and stayed up all night to refit an engine part Picard had made a passing comment on, and he witnessed Natasha Yar risk her life to save colonists amid a Carnelian mine field. He had also picked William T. Riker as his first officer and promoted him to commander sight unseen, impressed by the young officer's record of independence. (TNG: "The Next Phase," "Legacy," "The Pegasus") Mere months upon taking command, Picard was offered a promotion to commandant of Starfleet Academy and the rank of admiral by Admiral Gregory Quinn, but turned it down to retain command of the Enterprise. (TNG: "Coming of Age") Although Picard often heatedly defended a strict interpretation of the Prime Directive, he has broken it numerous times when he felt it was warranted. Thus, in 2364, he allowed an Edo woman to confront her "god" from space and in 2366, Picard brought a Mintakan leader aboard the Enterprise so as to undo the damage done by cultural contamination. (TNG: "Justice", "Who Watches the Watchers?") Furthermore, in 2370, the Enterprise, by hand of Dr. Nikolai Rozhenko, transported a primitive group of Boraalans aboard from the planet of Boraal II before an atmospheric dissipation rendered it uninhabitable. Although in violation of the Prime Directive, Picard ordered that the Boraalans be resettled. (TNG: "Homeward") Encounters with the Q entity Commanding the Enterprise on its first mission, Picard made first contact with a member of the Q Continuum - Q. Picard and his senior officers had to stand trial for humankind's immaturity. To prove their worthiness as a species, Picard had to solve the "mystery of Farpoint Station". The crew of the Enterprise discovered that the inhabitants of Deneb IV, the Bandi, had captured two space-dwelling beings to serve their own purpose. The Enterprise helped to free the creatures, and Q, somewhat disappointed by the crew's succes, retreats, though he hints that it would not be their final encounter. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint") And thus, later that year, Q created a bizarre and deadly "game" for the crew of the Enterprise, in order to demonstrate that he had given Commander Riker Q-like abilities. Ultimately, Riker rejected these new powers, and Q again disappeared. (TNG: "Hide and Q") One year later, in 2365, Q first expressed an interest in joining Picard's crew. When Picard declined, Q tried to show how much he could be of assistance by hurling the Enterprise into the path of a Borg Cube. Q was hoping to show that the Federation was entirely unprepared to meet some of the more powerful races that existed in the universe. Ultimately, Picard had to beg for Q's help in escaping from the pursuit of the Borg vessel. (TNG: "Q Who?") A fourth encounter with Q came in 2366, when the other members of the Continuum had stripped him of his omnipotence and immortality as punishment for his irresponsibility. He sought refuge on the Enterprise, and although Picard and the rest of the crew were initially unconvinced of the sincerity of Q's please, the captain agreed to provide Q temporary asylum. However, as the Enterprise began to suffer under Calamarain attack, Q resolved to end his life in order to prevent further risk to the Enterprise crew. However, another Q prevented Q from sacrificing himself, and restored Q's powers as a reward for his selfless act. (TNG: "Deja Q") Late in 2367, Q returned to the Enterprise to "proberly" thank Picard for his role in helping him regain his standing in the Continuum. At the time, Picard was meeting a friend named Vash, whom he had met on Risa the year before. Q resolved to teach Picard a lesson about love, and cast Picard, Vash, and the Enterprise command crew into an elaborate scenario styled by the ancient legend of Robin Hood. Q himself assumed the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Ultimately, Picard learned his lesson, and everyone was returned to the Enterprise. Intrigued by Vash, though, Q offered to take her on a journey of exploration to explore various archaeological ruins of the galaxy, and she accepted. (TNG: "QPid") In 2369, Q once again appeared aboard the Enterprise, this time to instruct Amanda Rogers, a Human female who was the child of two Q and who possessed Q powers herself. Although Q's petulant and acerbic attitude did little to ingratiate himself to Amanda, he eventually convinced her to go with him to the Continuum to learn to use her newfound abilities. (TNG: "True Q") Later that same year, Q appeared to Picard when the latter was critically injured in a Lenarian ambush. Appearing as "God", Q told Picard that he had died because of his artificial heart, and offered him the chance to return to the incident in his youth, allowing him to relive the events leading up to his near-fatal injury and change history. Although Picard was successful in changing history, he eventually realized that the event — and his previous nature as an arrogant, brash young man — was a part of his identity, and had helped mold him into the successful Starfleet officer he had become. Although he was uncertain as to whether the experience had been real or simply a vision, Picard was grateful for Q's revelation. (TNG: "Tapestry") In 2370, Q returned to the Enterprise to continue the trial against Humanity. Claiming that the seven-year-old trial had never actually ended, Q proclaimed Humanity guilty of "being inferior" and informed Picard that his race was to be destroyed. He sent Picard traveling through time to his past, present, and future, where he was presented with a temporal paradox, in the form of an eruption of anti-time in the Devron system. In this paradox, Picard himself was responsible for the creation of the anomaly, that propagated backwards in normal time (anti-time having the opposite properties of normal time), thus destroying Humanity in the past. However, in addition to sending Picard jumping through time, Q also provided Picard with hints to understanding the nature of the paradox. Ultimately, Picard determined the solution and devised a way to close the anti-time anomaly in all three time periods. Following the success, Q revealed that the entire experience was a test, aimed at determining whether Humanity was capable of expanding its horizons to understand some of the advanced concepts of the universe. Departing, Q promised to continue watching Humanity, proclaiming that "the trial never ends." (TNG: "All Good Things...") Encounters with the Borg In 2365, Q sent the Enterprise 7000 light-years into uncharted space, into the path of a Borg Cube. Although the Enterprise suffered losses, it became the first ship to survive an encounter with the Borg and so managed to inform Starfleet of the existence of the Borg. (TNG: "Q Who?") One year later, in 2366, the Borg launched their first invasion of the Federation. A single cube destroyed the New Providence colony, the [[USS Lalo|USS Lalo]] and kidnapped Picard when the Enterprise attempted to intervene. Picard was partially assimilated and became a Borg drone known as Locutus of Borg (Latin for "he who has spoken", as a perfect participle). The cube proceeded towards Earth and engaged Starfleet in the Battle of Wolf 359, resulting in the destruction of 39 Federation vessels. On arrival at Earth an away-team from the Enterprise successfully rescued Picard and used his connection to the Borg to implant false data in the cube, destroying it. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds") It would be revealed years later that his assimilation and time spent in the Collective had a profoundly disturbing effect on Picard's life. (Star Trek: First Contact) The Enterprise again encountered the Borg in 2368 when they rescued a single drone from a crashed Borg shuttle. This drone was cut off from the collective and slowly regained an individual identity, eventually being named Hugh. Initially, the plan was drafted to use Hugh to destroy the collective in its entirety, although Dr. Beverly Crusher resisted the extermination of an entire race - even if it was the Borg. Picard eventually confronted Hugh, who immediately recognized Picard as Locutus. Picard took the role of Locutus while talking to Hugh, to simulate the authourity that Hugh was used to. However, Geordi La Forge, Data, Beverly Crusher, and other members of the Enterprise crew had a profound effect on the former dronge. Even Guinan, who initially wanted nothing to do with Hugh, taught him that resistance is not futile. Guinan's homeworld had been destroyed long ago by the Borg, but the fact that Guinan was still alive was proof to this assertion. When Picard reminded Hugh that "resistance is futile," Hugh informed him that it was not so. When Picard told Hugh that Geordi would be assimilated, Hugh stated that Geordi did not want to be assimilated. When Picard said that this was irrelevant, Hugh specifically said that he (and Hugh used the word I, his first use of a singular pronoun) would not assist in the assimilation of Geordi. Picard was stunned that a Borg drone would say such things. He decided that he could not send Hugh back with the file that would destroy the Borg. He offered Hugh asylum on board the Enterprise, but Hugh said that the collective would not stop looking for him until they found him. Hugh agreed to go back to the crash site, and to be taken back into the Collective, to protect the Enterprise from harm. (TNG: "I, Borg") The individuality present in Hugh spread through the ship he returned to, causing a catastrophic separation of the ship from the rest of the collective. This rogue mini-collective was unsure how to cope with its freedom and so fell under the influence of the android Lore. He persuaded them to aid his plan to conquer Earth. Using the rogue ship they attacked several outposts before being tracked down by the crew of the Enterprise-D. They destroyed the Borg ship and were able to persuade the remaining members of the mini-collective of Lore’s unreliability. The mini-collective then disappeared into space and has not been encountered since. (TNG: "Descent") There were some within Starfleet who blamed Picard for the destruction of the task force at Wolf 359. Benjamin Sisko, who was serving as first officer of the [[USS Saratoga|USS Saratoga]] at the time, lost his wife Jennifer in the attack. Picard and Sisko finally met in 2369, after the Enterprise was the first Starfleet vessel to arrive at Deep Space Nine. Sisko was, at first, hostile toward Picard, but later came to forgive him. Sisko also gave Picard his letter of resignation, which Picard did not send, feeling Sisko was the right person for command of Deep Space Nine. (DS9: "Emissary") In 2373, the Borg launched their second invasion of the Federation, and again the crew of the Enterprise would play a major role in their defeat. Initially, the Enterprise was not to have participated in the Battle of Sector 001, because according to Starfleet Command, Picard would bring an "unstable element into a critical situation." Seeing that the Borg were getting the best of the fleet, Picard ordered the Enterprise to Earth to assist. He was instrumental in defeating both the main invasion and an attempt by the Borg to prevent the formation of the Federation by altering history. (Star Trek: First Contact) Recent career In 2371, the USS Enterprise-D was lost over Veridian III, and vessel's primary hull crash landing on the planet's surface. There were no fatalties, and most of the ship's senior crew was reassigned to the USS Enterprise-E, the sixth Starfleet vessel to bear the name. Picard was installed as commanding officer, and after a one-year shakedown cruise the new Enterprise was nearly lost when the senior staff had decided to sacrifice the ship in order to save Earth's future by preventing the onboard Borg from changing history. Fortunately, the crew was able to repel the Borg's attempt without having to destroy the Enterprise. (Star Trek: First Contact) Two years later, in 2375, Picard ordered the ship to the Ba'ku homeworld in the Briar Patch when it appeared that his operations officer, Lieutenant Commander Data, had malfunctioned and assaulted members of the research team there. Picard was able to capture Data, and uncovered a plot by Admiral Matthew Dougherty and some in the Federation Council to relocate the Ba'ku against their will. Picard rebelled against Dougherty, bringing word of his actions to the public. (Star Trek: Insurrection) Picard continued in command of the Enterprise through 2379, when the ship was sent to Romulus after the coup by now-Praetor Shinzon. Shinzon was a clone of Picard created by a former Romulan government - they intended to replace the captain with a spy of their own. Following a change of government, the plan was abandoned and Shinzon was sent to Remus to die. Instead he prospered, becoming a highly successful leader during the Dominion War. Shinzon used a thalaron radiation weapon to eradicate the Romulan Senate in 2379 and had planned to do the same to Earth. He needed Picard in order to repair faults in his own genetic makeup. In a pitched battle between the Enterprise and Shinzon's flagship the Scimitar, Picard was eventually able to board the enemy ship and eliminate Shinzon. Picard's life was saved by Data, who transported his captain back to the Enterprise before sacrificing his own life to destroy the Scimitar by firing on the thalaron weapon with a hand phaser, thereby also saving the over 800 men and women aboard the Enterprise. (Star Trek: Nemesis) Medical record .]] Picard always remained in excellent health thanks to a regimen carried over from his days as an athlete. Despite his captaincy of the Enterprise, he still found time for fencing, racquetball and equine sports, usually by holodeck. Nevertheless, Picard did show a tendency for overwork, avoided formal vacations, and has reported bouts of insomnia. Additionally, he usually tried to avoid his annual physicals, to great irritation of Dr. Crusher. (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris", "Suddenly Human", "Captain's Holiday", "Allegiance") At a very young age, Jean-Luc Picard was diagnosed with Shalaft's Syndrome, a rare congenital defect that left him hypersensitive to any kind of sound. His condition was treated, but his hearing was still highly acute. As an ensign, he could sense subtleties as faint as a starship's torque sensors out of alignment by three microns. (Star Trek: Insurrection, Star Trek: Nemesis) Picard lost his hair by the 2350s, although he was known to have a shaved head for some time as a student at Starfleet Academy. (TNG: "Rascals", "Star Trek: Nemesis", "Tapestry", "Violations") Boothby's comment in TNG: "The First Duty", in which he wonders what happened to Picard's hair, suggests that Picard did have hair when they met. Picard did indeed have hair as an ensign in 2327, and in the 2350s he had hair, although his hairline was receding at that point. Conversely, Shinzon (and the photo of the younger Picard) had a clearly shaved head (with visible stubble shadow), and was not naturally bald (though this in turn may have been an oversight by the makeup department). Owing to a fatal stabbing through the heart in 2328, a cardiac device later found to be defective was implanted to save his life. The unit required replacement when it malfunctioned in 2365, overseen at Starbase 212 by Dr. Katherine Pulaski. Four years later, the unit was damaged and again replaced following a near-fatal Lenarian compressed tetryon weaponry attack. (TNG: "Samaritan Snare", "Tapestry") Following his assimilation by the Borg in 2366, Picard was formerly declared dead as a casualty of war by Admiral J.P. Hanson. The ruling was rescinded six days later when Picard was recaptured by the crew of the Enterprise. Along with the physical recovery, the invasive incident took an enormous emotional toll and required several weeks of counseling. Picard underwent similar, though less lengthy recuperation following his capture and torture by Cardassians in 2369. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds", "Chain of Command, Part I") Personal life Despite Picard being a rather private person, he maintained a good relationship with the members of his senior staff on board the Enterprise, but only joined in their weekly game of poker after seven years. (TNG: "All Good Things...) Picard held diverse intellectual interests. He had a lifelong interest in archaeology, inspired by his Academy instructor, Professor Richard Galen. He also had a deep love of literature, from the works of William Shakespeare to detective stories featuring Dixon Hill. Other subjects that enthralled Picard were physics and celestial mechanics; he kept up with the Atlantis Project on Earth through journals. He had studied semantics and kept his Latin fresh. After his experience with the Kataan probe, Picard began to play the Ressikan flute, and was good enough to perform works by Mozart. He considered the flute to be one of his most prized possessions. It represented, to him, an entire lifetime he lived in only 25 minutes. As of 2379, Picard kept the flute on his desk in his ready room aboard the ''Enterprise''. His attempts at painting were less successful. (TNG: "The Chase", "The Inner Light", "A Matter of Perspective", Star Trek: Nemesis) When enjoying the comforts of home on the Enterprises, the highly private Picard drank Earl Grey tea. He delighted in fencing, horseback riding and his scale models of various Starfleet vessels. His opponents in fencing included Lieutenant Dean and Guinan, whom Picard coached in the sport. In november that year, she initially lost one of their matches, and said she did not think she liked the sport. Picard replied she liked it well enough two weeks prior, when she scored him two touches. (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris", "I, Borg") Philosophically, Picard saw life and death as more than two choices of eternal or momentary existence. In fact, he believed there was another concept yet beyond human understanding due to the marvelous complexity and the clockwork precision of the universe. In 2364, confronted by the Q entity, Picard quoted from Shakespeare: "What a piece of work is man? How noble in reason? How infinite in faculty, in form, in moving, how express and admirable. In action, how like an angel in apprehension, how like a god..." Upon Q's interruption that surely he did not see his own species like that, Picard answered that he saw humankind one day becoming so. In Picard's opinion, genetic engineering with its predetermination robbed humanity of the unknown factor that makes life worth living. (TNG: "Lonely Among Us", "Hide and Q", "The Masterpiece Society") ---- Personal relationships Family Picard claimed that he was able to trace his family's roots in western Europe back to the time of Charlemagne in the 7th century. Picard has "never been a family man", and was thus long uncomfortable with the presence of children aboard the ''Galaxy''-class Enterprise. The orphaned son of Lieutenant Marla Aster again raised his concern about the vessel's civilian family contingent, although his unease with children has dissipated since being stranded with three youths during a shipboard quantum filament crisis. His initial reaction to family is also reflected in the friction with his father and, later, his older brother over leaving the family business. Upon the sudden accidental deaths of his brother Robert and his nephew René, the issue of lineage and Picard's lack of offspring caused a sustained yet brief period of depression. (TNG: "Journey's End", "The Bonding", "Disaster", "Family", Star Trek: Generations) In 2370, DaiMon Bok threatened Jason Vigo, claiming that Jason was Picard's son. It was soon revealed that Jason was not actually Picard's son. As a parting gift, Picard gave Jason an archaeological artifact of significant sentimental value. (TNG: "Bloodlines") Romance When Ambassador Lwaxana Troi visited the Enterprise in 2365, she had just entered her Betazoid phase, and so she set her sights on several male crewmembers as potential mates, including Picard. She announced her "wedding" with William Riker on the bridge of the Enterprise shortly before moving on to Captain Picard. Following an intimate dinner with the ambassador, Picard hid himself on the holodeck in a Dixon Hill holonovel. Ambassador Troi would remain to teasingly flirt with Picard during her future visits to the Enterprise. On one occasion, Picard pretended to be in love with Lwaxana in order to save the ambassador's daughter, Deanna Troi, and his first officer, Will Riker, from Ferengi captivity. Lwaxana was most impressed with his Shakespearian poetry. (TNG: "Manhunt", "Ménage à Troi") In 2369, Lt. Commander Nella Daren came aboard the Enterprise to become head of the ship's Stellar Sciences department. In her new role, she was very forthright in her requests for ship resources to support her department's studies. Soon after coming aboard, she and Picard met. A friendship quickly formed, based on their shared love for music. Daren accompanied the captain on a portable piano while he played the Ressikan flute. Their friendship soon blossomed into love. The crew reacted differently to Picard and Daren's romance: Deanna Troi was happy for Picard and gave her blessing; Beverly Crusher seemed jealous; and Riker felt that Daren was asking for special treatment because she was the captain's "girlfriend". When a firestorm threatened the Bersallis III Federation outpost, Daren suggested a plan to shield the outpost against the heat while the Enterprise evacuated the colonists. Eight crewmen lost their lives, but Daren survived. Afterwards, it became obvious to Picard and Daren that it would be extremely difficult to continue their relationship while serving on the same ship, thus Daren requested a transfer. As they said goodbye, they promised to keep seeing each other, but knew their relationship would never be the same. (TNG: "Lessons") In 2375, Picard developed a short, though intimate relationship with the Ba'ku woman Anij, while protecting her homeworld from combined Starfleet-Son'a threat. Anij, while over 300 years old, appeared a woman in her late-30s. Despite their intimacy, Picard returned to the Enterprise after the planned relocation of the Ba'ku was averted. Shortly before leaving, Picard said he had three hundred and eighteen days of vacation time coming, and that he planned on using them. (Star Trek: Insurrection) Beverly Crusher :Main article: Beverly C. Crusher & Jean-Luc Picard. Beverly Crusher and Picard maintained a close friendship while serving on the Enterprise, usually sharing their morning meal together. Beverly usually tried to serve a new and exotic food, although she and Jean-Luc both preferred something simple. Their relationship stayed platonic for the most part. They considered one another close friends, and would give each other advice when dealing with difficult decisions. (TNG: "QPid," "Attached") In 2370, Beverly and Picard were taken captive on planet Kesprytt, and were linked together by psi-wave devices in order to decrease the odds of their escape. The devices transmitted their thoughts to one another, where they learned each others' most intimate secrets. Beverly stayed up one night to listen to Picard's dreams, and Picard discovered that Beverly usually always had some smart-aleck comment at the ready, although she had learned to repress the urge to say them out loud. One night, Beverly brought up Jack and feelings of guilt washed over Picard. She finally learned that he too, felt an attraction, but did not act on it out of respect for his dead friend. Once they returned to the Enterprise, Picard expressed desire to further their relationship. However, Beverly ultimately decided that she did not want to ruin their friendship or be placed in a conflict of interest, and they decided to remain mutual friends. (TNG: "Attached") Guinan Guinan and Jean-Luc Picard shared a long-term relationship, which, according to her, went "beyond friendship and beyond family". (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds") She also once said to Geordi La Forge that she was attracted to bald men. (TNG: "Booby Trap") In return, Picard once remarked Guinan to be "very selective about whom she calls a friend". (TNG: "Ensign Ro") In 2365, Data's rights as an individual were challenged when cybernetics expert Commander Bruce Maddox wanted to disassemble the android for study. Picard challenged Maddox's assessment before the local Judge Advocate General. As the hearing neared its end, Picard admitted to Guinan he feared he was losing the case. Guinan asked what Maddox gained if he would be successful in disassembling and reassembling Data. Picard responded he would posses the ability to build many more androids. He remembered Guinan's words that the decisions made today have implications for the future, and so Picard reasoned that if it would be decided that Data was indeed Starfleet property, all future androids would be also. Guinan noted there was an ancient word for that: slavery. Eventually, Picard would win Data's case by pointing out that an entire race of Datas would be used as slaves; strictly against Federation principles. (TNG: "The Measure of a Man") In 2367, Guinan featured as cousin Gloria in one of Picard's Dixon Hill holonovels. She, however, was not much impressed with the program. (TNG: "Clues") Besides joining Picard on the holodeck, they would occassionally share a game of chess, and Guinan was also coached in fencing by Picard in 2368, begun when she considered exercise to strengthen her arm. Shortly prior to their match, the Enterprise had taken a Borg drone, now named Hugh, on board. Although Guinan initially questioned Picard's decision to have done so, she was convinced by Geordi to speak with the former drone. She could not but acknowledge this Borg was developing a personality, becoming an individual. Upon her conversation with Hugh, she convinced Picard to speak with him as well. (TNG: "I, Borg") William T. Riker :Main article: Jean-Luc Picard & William T. Riker. When choosing a first officer prior to the launch of the Enterprise in 2363, Captain Picard nearly passed over Riker's record. He stopped when he saw the incident with Captain DeSoto and Riker's refusal to allow the captain to beam down. This was a major factor in Picard's selection of Riker as his first officer. He was impressed that a first officer would challenge a captain's authority out of regard for the safety of the captain and the crew. (TNG: "The Pegasus") Eventually, Riker and Picard became very good friends. The only time they ever verbally fought in front of the Enterprise crew was in 2366 while under the influence of emotions projected by Ambassador Sarek (whom Picard greatly respected), suffering from Bendii Syndrome. (TNG: "Sarek") Years later, in 2379, Picard served as Riker's best man during his wedding to Deanna Troi. He gave a toast to Riker, calling him his "trusted right arm" and lamenting his loss of a fine first officer. (Star Trek: Nemesis) Data :Main article: Data & Jean-Luc Picard. From 2364 to 2371, Lt. Commander Data was appointed as head of operations and the science officer when serving onboard the Enterprise-D and head of operations from 2372-2379 onboard the Enterprise-E. Data looked up to Picard as something of a father figure throughout his service under the captain asking for his advice on numerous occasions in his quest to become more human. Picard always gave Data advice whenever he could. In 2365, Data's existence was threatened when Commander Bruce Maddox wished to disassemble and study Data to gain a better understanding of how his positronic brain functioned. Data refused to submit to Maddox's procedure, finding his research flawed but Maddox claimed that Data was property of Starfleet and therefore not a sentient being and as a result had no choice other than to submit to the procedure. Captain Phillipa Louvois supported Maddox's claim and Picard intervened by challenging their reasoning, saying that Data was indeed sentient and deserved the freedom to make his own decisions. He also said that Data represented an entire race and that forcing him to submit to Maddox's procedure would be tantamount to slavery - strictly against Federation law. Ultimately, Louvois sided with Picard's standpoint and agreed that Data, android or not, was indeed sentient and entitled to the same rights as any other Starfleet officer. (TNG: "The Measure of a Man") Data was due to replace Commander Riker as first officer of the Enterprise in 2379 when the latter was promoted to captain of the [[USS Titan|USS Titan]]. Before Data could assume his new post, however, he sacrificed his own life -- and by doing so, saved that of Picard -- by destroying the thalaron radiation generator aboard the Reman warbird Scimitar. Following the battle, Captain Picard held a toast with the Enterprise's senior officers as a tribute to their fallen comrade. (Star Trek: Nemesis) Worf By 2364, Worf, ranking lieutenant junior grade, was serving on the ''Enterprise'' as a junior bridge officer under the command of Captain Picard. Upon the death of Lieutenant Yar, he was promoted to chief tactical officer and security chief. (TNG: "The Child") When the Klingon Civil War erupted in 2367, Worf resigned from Starfleet and fought on the side of Gowron against the forces of the Duras family. With the help of Picard, Worf and other Gowron supporters revealed Romulan assistance to the Duras cause. This collapsed support for the House of Duras, and Gowron won the chancellorship. Gowron restored the honor of the House of Mogh in thanks for its assistance during the war. Worf returned to Starfleet without incident. (TNG: "Redemption, Part I & II") Worf commanded the [[USS Defiant (NX-74205)|USS Defiant]] in the battle against the Borg at Sector 001, and fought the Borg temporal incursion into 2063. While Picard had called Worf a "coward" for not wanting to continue fighting the Borg aboard the Enterprise, Picard later admitted that Worf was "the bravest man" he had even known. For a brief period in 2375, Worf rejoined his old crew to reveal Admiral Dougherty's conspiracy concerning the Ba'ku relocation. In 2379, he attended the wedding ceremony of William Riker and Deanna Troi. En route to Betazed aboard the Enterprise, the crew was assigned to Romulus to begin peace negotiations with the new praetor of the Romulan Star Empire, Shinzon. The peace offer turned out to be a trap and in the end Worf, together with the Romulans, had to face Shinzon and the Remans. Finally, he admitted that the Romulans fought with honor, possibly getting over his life-long grudge against this species. (Star Trek: Insurrection, Star Trek: Nemesis) Appendices Miscellaneous information Picard's command authorization code as of 2373 was "Picard-4-7-alpha-tango". (Star Trek: First Contact) Alternate timelines In 2366, the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C)|USS Enterprise-C]] emerged from a temporal rift. Its disappearance from the year 2344 caused an altered timeline, where the Federation was losing a war against the Klingon Empire. Picard was still the ship's commanding officer, though more toughened due to the horrors of war. Upon Guinan's advice, Picard decided to send the Enterprise back to the past. After Captain Rachel Garrett was killed during Klingon attack, Picard allowed Richard Castillo to assume command and return the Enterprise-C to 2344. (TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise") In an alternate timeline created by Q, Picard was given the chance to walk away from his fight with the Nausicaan that caused serious injury to his heart, forcing a bionic replacement to be installed. When he returned to the present, Picard was a mere lieutenant J.G. with Worf as his supervisor. Picard would convince Q to allow him to correct the damage to his timeline and returned to his reality. (TNG: "Tapestry") In 2370, Lieutenant Worf encountered a quantum fissure which caused him to begin shifting between quantum realities. In several universes, Picard was still Enterprise captain, and attended a surprise birthday party for Worf, though his services were stated to be required on the bridge. In the final universe in which Worf arrived, Riker was the captain, as Picard was lost in the Borg encounter of 2367. In another reality, the Borg had invaded the Federation and the Enterprise was one of the few ships left. All the events following Worf's encounter were erased from the timeline once the fissure was sealed. (TNG: "Parallels") In Q's anti-time present, Picard was diagnosed with Irumodic syndrome by Dr. Crusher. This caused her to reconsider her relationship with Jean-Luc, and she reversed her earlier decision to remain just friends. These events were eradicated from the timeline following the collapse of the anomaly, and it is unknown if they transpired in the "true" timeline. In the anti-time future, Picard found himself at his family's vineyard with Geordi La Forge in the year 2395. Picard contacted Riker, now admiral and commanding officer of Starbase 247, for help in investigating the anomaly, but Riker refused to allow him passage to the Neutral Zone, thinking Picard had been affected by his Irumodic syndrome and was delusional. Later, Picard convinced his ex-wife, Beverly Picard, to take her medical ship, the ''Pasteur'' to investigate the anomaly. The Pasteur was attacked and destroyed by Klingon battleships, but the Enterprise, under command of Admiral Riker, arrived to rescue the crew and fight off the Klingons. Picard once again pleaded with Riker to return to the Devron system, but he was then sedated and returned to quarters. Armed with new information gathered from the other two timeframes, Picard woke and went to talk to Riker and the other former Enterprise officers. He convinced them that the anomaly existed, and the Enterprise returned just in time to watch it form. Riker ordered the Enterprise into the anomaly, where it used a static warp shell in concert with the other Enterprises to collapse it. After the anomaly was sealed, the timelines were erased and only Picard retained memory of those events. He told his staff of his experiences in the future, in hopes that things such as the conflict between Worf and Riker that followed Deanna Troi's death never happen. (TNG: "All Good Things...") Chronology ;2305: Born in La Barre, France, on Earth. ;2322: Applied to Starfleet Academy for the first time and was rejected. ;2323: Admitted to Starfleet Academy, wins Starfleet Academy marathon. ;2327: Graduated Starfleet Academy and had to be implanted with an artificial heart after a fight with a Nausicaan. ;2333: Assumed command of the ''Constellation''-class starship [[USS Stargazer|USS Stargazer]]. ;2245: Relationship with Miranda Vigo. ;2355: Participated in the Battle of Maxia against a Ferengi vessel. Picard invented a new tactical ploy to win the battle, later dubbed the "Picard Maneuver". ;2364: Assumed command of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS Enterprise-D]]. His first mission as captain involved contact with the Q entity. ;2366: Captured by the Borg and forced to become a member of the Borg collective, leading the invasion of the Federation as Locutus of Borg. This included leading the Borg victory over the Federation at the Battle of Wolf 359. Despite Borg control over him, Picard managed to relay information to the crew of the Enterprise which allowed the Borg to be defeated. ;2367: Prevented an attempt by the Romulans to take over the Klingon Empire by indirectly interfering in the Klingon Civil War. ;2369: Discovered an ancient message left by the first humanoid beings in our galaxy. ;2370: Blighted the second Borg invasion of the Federation, led by individualized Borg drones under the Soong-type android Lore. ;2371: The Enterprise is destroyed over Veridian III. ;2372: Assigned command of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|USS Enterprise-E]]. ;2373: Traveled back in time to 2063 in order to defeat an attempt by the Borg to create an alternate timeline in which the Federation is never created. ;2375: Rebelled against Starfleet Admiral Dougherty in order to protect the Ba'ku. ;2379: Traveled to Romulus to meet Praetor Shinzon, a clone of himself. Killed Shinzon during the battle with the Scimitar. Background information The character of Jean-Luc Picard was devised by Gene Roddenberry and named after Dr. Jean Piccard, a Swiss scientist and high-altitude balloonist. While there is no official source of the name Picard, the character makes occasional allusions to his "famous ancestors"—presumably Jean, Auguste, and Jacques Piccard. The original casting call sent out to agents asked for the following: :CAPT. Julien Picard -- A caucasian man in his 50s who is very youthful and in prime physical condition. Born in Paris, his gallic accent appears when deep emotions are triggered. He is definitely a "romantic" and believes strongly in concepts like honor and duty. Capt. Picard commands the ''Enterprise. He should have a mid-Atlantic accent, and a wonderfully rich speaking voice.'' It has never been explained why the character Jean-Luc Picard, born in France, has a thick British accent. Picard was most popular for straightening his uniform when standing up (the Picard Manuever), saying "Engage" after plotting a course, and "Make it so" when agreeing with someone's suggested orders. de:Jean-Luc Picard nl:Jean-Luc Picard Picard, Jean-Luc Picard, Jean-Luc Picard, Jean-Luc Picard, Jean-Luc Picard, Jean-Luc